Showbiz411

Tribeca Films announced this morning what I told you back on June 6th: they’ve bought “Glee” star Chris Colfer’s excellent comedy, “Struck by Lightning,” for distribution. http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/06/06/glee-star-chris-colfer-22-sells-hot-film-to-deniro-company-and-publishes-first-novel. I also wrote in that item that 22 year old Colfer was publishing his first novel. Anyway, “Struck by Lightning” is the kind of comedy that Fox Searchlight used to pick up– like “Juno” or “Little Miss Sunshine.” It’s spot on, and sure to do well. Colfer did a great job.

Here’s the press release:

Tribeca Film announced today that it has acquired U.S. rights to “Glee” star Chris Colfer’s film debut, the high school comedy Struck By Lightning. In addition to starring in the movie, Colfer also wrote the screenplay for the film, which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and was met with a standing ovation. Directed with awareness and exuberance by Brian Dannelly (Saved!), the highly anticipated film also stars Allison Janney, Polly Bergen, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Hyland and Angela Kinsey.

Tribeca Film plans a late 2012 theatrical release day and date with on-demand platforms where it will be available in 40+ million homes through a variety of video-on-demand offerings, in addition to iTunes, Amazon Watch Instantly, VUDU, Xbox and Samsung Media Hub.

High school senior Carson Phillips (Chris Colfer) was destined for bigger things than his close-minded small town could ever offer. He was on a path to greatness, but destiny had a different plan when he was suddenly killed by a bolt of lightning in his school parking lot.

Demonstrating that life is what happens while you’re busy planning your future, Carson recounts the last few weeks of his life via witty, insightful flashbacks, including a blackmail scheme targeting the popular kids in school that he concocts with his best friend (Rebel Wilson, Bridesmaids), and a home life that includes a mother (Allison Janney, Juno, “The West Wing”) who’s more interested in the bottle than

Roger Friedman

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News. Friedman previously wrote the Intelligencer column at New York Magazine, He writes for Parade magazine and has written for Details, Vogue, the New York Times, Post, and Daily News and many other publications. He is the writer and co-producer of a film about R&B Music called “Only the Strong Survive,” which was released by Miramax in 2003 and was a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.